Brace.



I G. W. BOWMAN.

BRACB.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 12, 1911.

1,012,509. Patented Dec. 19,1911.

1 Inventor Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. BOWMAN, OF SALEM, MISSOURI.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May 12, 1911.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911. Serial No. 626,790.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnoncn BOWMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Dent and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Brace, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in braces for the bows of vehicle tops.

The primary obj ect of said invention is to provide a simple and economically manufactured device of this character which may be readily positioned on one of the top supports and which will conveniently support said top when in its folded position.

\Vith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter dc scribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings,Figure l is a side elevation showing a buggy top equipped with the brace, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the brace, Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the looking device; Fig. 4, is an end View of said locking device in its closed position; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same.

The device consists of a beam 10, one end of which is bent to form a supporting arm 11, the end portion of which is concaved and adapted to receive the bow 12. A central support 13 is either formed integral or secured to the member 10, said support being provided with a hook 141: which can be formed integral with the support 13; thus the concaved end of the support 11 contacts with one edge of the bow, while the hook 14: contacts with the other edge. Arranged at the other end of the beam 10 is a support 15 similar to the support 11, the same being provided with a retaining hook 16 disposed in the same manner as the hook 14 overhanging the end portion of the support 15. The support 15 is reduced to receive a locking device 17, the edge 15 of the support and the edge 17' of the locking device being beveled, a securing device 18 passing centrally through the upper portion of the support 15 in the central portion of the member 17, thus allowing the member 17 to swing to the position shown in Fig. 5, the face 19 of the member 15 being beveled to agree with one of the beveled ends 20 of the latch member 17, thus permitting its movement in one direction and restricting its movement in the other direction; the other end of said latch member being beveled, its face being concaved and provided with corrugations 21 which, when the latch member is swung to the position shown in Fig. 2 securely grip the bow, preventing the displacement of the brace and preventing movement of the same on the bow. Secured at a point immediately below the surface 19 with which the end portion of the latch member 20 contacts, is a spring pressed rotary latch member which said member being elongated and when in its locked position it contacts with the end portion of the latch member 17, the same being thus prevented from movement in either direction.

It will be noted from the foregoing that a device of this character, while simple in construction, will be found eflicient in practice, the brace being readily and conveniently positioned on the bow, the same being of a construction which will effectually support the top.

What is claimed is 1. A devi'ce of the class described consisting of a beam, a plurality of right angular extensions arranged on said beam, said extensions being provided with securing devices arranged to contact with the bow of a vehicle hood, one of said extensions being provided with a pivoted latch member, said latch member having a corrugated face, and means for holding said latch member against movement.

2. A device of the class described consisting of a beam, said beam being provided with a plurality of supports, one of said supports being formed with ahook arranged to embrace one edge of a vehicle bow, and a pivoted latch member co-acting with said hook to engage the opposite face of said bow, and means for holding said pivoted portion in locked position.

3. A device of the class described consisting of a beam, said beam being provided In testimony that I claim the foregoing as With a plurality of extensions adapted to my own, I have hereto affixed my signature engage the bow of a vehicle hood, a hook in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

formed on one of said extensions, said eX- GEORGE lV. BOWMAN. tension being reduced, its reduced portion WVit-nesses:

being beveled and a beveled latch member B. F. BEASLEY,

pivotally supported by said reduced portion. a JOHN G. BoEHM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

